Registering-armor for boxers



(No Model.)

J. DONOVAN. REGISTERING A'RMOR FOR BOXBRS. No. 543,086. I Patented July23, 1895.

my. v fizwyzzw w I Jae j I v 1 ,29 02707 172, @Wa

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JosEPH DONOVAN, or onioAeo, ILLINOIS.

REGlSTERlNG-ARMOR FOR BOXERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,086, dated J uly23,1895. Application filed December 19, 139 4:- $erial No. 532,297. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOSEPH DONOVAN, of Chicago, Cook county,Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRegistering-Armor for Boxers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, economical, andefficient protection for boxers by covering the different assailableparts of the body located above what is termed the belt, below whichthere is no hitting done, and incombination therewith a suitableautomatic registering and bell-sounding device to record the number oftimes each or all such protected points have been struck,

. the bell sounding in unison with each tally scored.

The invention consists of the features and combinations hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In thedrawings, Figure 1 shows my improvements attached to the body ofan athlete, and Fig. 2 a diagrammatic view of the mechanism forrecording, registering, and ringing up the hits. I

It is well known that sparring or boxing is one of the mosthealth-giving exercises in the whole range of athletics, developingendurance, stability of physique, a quickness of eyesight and action,and tending to bring out in its finest and quickest form every muscle ofthe body. Unfortunately, however, with all these good qualities there isa roughness and a brutality with it, whicl1 has thrown it almostentirely outside the pale of legitimate athletics, and to eliminatethese rough and objectionable features entirely to those practicingboxing by padding over all the vulnerable points above the belt andproviding each and all of these points with a registering device, sothat all blows shall be rung up and registered automatically, thusreducing boxing to asimple test of quickness and endurance, and nothingmore, is the principal object of my invention. f

In constructing my improvement I provide a jacket A, which is attachedto the body above the belt and which has pneumatic or padded cushionsattached to it over the different vulnerable points, as follows: 1represents the cushion over what is termed the mark or 'pit of thestomach; 2, the cushion just below or over the heart; 3, the cushion orpad over the short ribs of the left side, and 4 the cushion or pad overthe ribs of the right side.

I further provide headgear or jacket B, in which the differentvulnerable parts of the head are protected, in the following manner: 5,the cushion or pad over the left jaw; 6, the cushion or pad over theright jaw; 7, the cushion or pad over the chin, and 8 the cushion or padover the nose. These cushions or pads have been designated numericallyin accordance with the difficulty of reaching them in boxing, the nosepad orcushion standing at one extreme as the most easily reached andthepad or cushion over the pit of the stomach or mark being at the otherextreme as the most difficult of reach. In order to record or registerthe number of times each or all of these parts have been struck by anopponent, I prefer to provide each of these cushions with electricalcontact-points (see diagrammatic view, hereinafter explained) and attachto the back of the athlete a registering device, hell, or both, of anyusual form of construction, which are electrically connected with eachone of these contact-points, so that as the contact-pieces are broughttogether by a blow a circuit is completed and one point on the registerrecorded or the bell sounded.

Describing the diagrammatic view shown in Fig. 2, 0 represents theindicating-register and D the bell, both of which may be attached to theback of the athlete. a represents thecushion or contact-point over themark. h represents the contact-point over the heart; 0, thecontact-point over the left short ribs; d, the contact-point. over theright ribs; e, the contact-point over the left jaw; f, "the contactpointover the right jaw; g, the contact-points over the chin; h, thecontact-point over the nose, and 'i a dry battery.

Describing the apparatus in use, when, for instance, the contact-pointsover the mark a is struck, the electric circuit is closed and currentflows from the battery through wire is to contact-points a, throughwires Z, m, and n to the bell and indicating-register and backindicating-register.

The advantages of my improvement are that it renders one of thehealthiest and most fascinating athletic exercises absolutely safe,doing away completely with roughing, bloodletting, brutality,knockdowns, and knockouts, and reducing boxing and the manly art ofself-defense to a science, in which rapidity of arm and leg work,endurance, and quick conception are the only factors. Further, that eachand all of the times the boxing-competitors strike each other over thevulnerable points are recorded in any desired manner, so that at the endof a bout or contest they can be easily read, minimizing any unfairnessin the decisions, and preventing disputes as to who the actual winner isor Whether there has been an even contest or draw.

\Vhile I ha e described my invention with more or less minuteness as todetails and as being embodied in the precise forms, I do not desire tobe limited thereto unduly any more than is pointed out in the claims. Onthe contrary, I contemplate all proper changes in form, construction,and arrangement and omission of parts and the substitution ofequivalents as circumstances may suggest or necessity render expedient.

I claim- 1. In an armor for boxers, the combination of a jacket orjackets, having a cushion or cushions located over the vulnerable partsof a wearer in use, and means for indicating the number of times each orallot such cushions have been struck, substantially as described.

2. In an armor for boxers, the combination of a jacket or jackets havinga plurality of cushions located over the several vulnerable parts of awearer when in use, electric contact points at each of said vulnerableparts, an indicating register, a bell, and an electric circuit embracingsuch contact points, indicating register, bell, and a source of electricenergy, to register the number of times each and all of such parts havebeen struck, substantially as described.

3. In an armor for boxers, the combination of a body jacket or harness,and aheadjacket or hood, having a plurality of cushions located over theseveral vulnerable parts of a wearer when in use, and meansforindicating the number of times each and all of such parts have beenstruck, substantially as described.

4. In an armor for boxers, the combination of a body and head jacketprovided with a plurality of cushions located over the severalvulnerable parts of a wearer when in use, electric contact pieces ateach of such vulnerable parts, an indicating register or registers, abell, and an electric circuit or circuits embracing such contact pieces,indicating register or registers, bell, and a source of electricalenergy, to register and ring up the nu mber of times each or all of suchparts have been struck, substantially as described.

JOSEPH DONOVAN.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. SHERIDAN, THOMAS E. McGnncoR.

